Maya Angelou said, "When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed." It's an adage that captures the ongoing mission that Janice Murphy, a Realtor with Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty, has charted for herself one child and one surgery each year, with HeartGift.

Murphy's mission began in 2014 when she pledged a commission from a listing to cover the $25,000 cost of a child's surgery through HeartGift, a nonprofit organization that provides life-saving surgery to children from remote countries where treatment is non-existent. HeartGift Houston is chaired by Murphy's son, Frost Murphy.

"I covered the surgery for a small boy from western Mongolia, Bayangali, who suffered from Tetralogy of Fallot," Murphy said. "The surgery was successful and Bayangali returned home fully recovered. He now lives a normal life at home with his parents and siblings."

A year later, Murphy is ready to do it again. "In this country, even children in economically-challenging circumstances can gain access to diagnosis and surgery. The children HeartGift helps have no access to care and will die without modern medical treatment. 100 percent of all funds donated goes to HeartGift's patient services, and they keep administrative costs down via creative, grassroots fundraising," she said.

"HeartGift Houston helps an average of 40 children a year from around the world," said Frost Murphy. "We have one employee, Rachael Wright, the executive director, who works from her house.

"HeartGift volunteers provide housing, transportation, and translators for young patients and a parent for four to six weeks, and doctors and other medical personnel donate their services. Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital donates the major portion of its fees and HeartGift makes up the difference." Murphy added that this year's recipient of his mother's gift has not been finalized but will be one of several candidates already in the HeartGift system.

Janice Murphy has begun her search, and when she finds the right home to use for this year's gift, she hopes her sellers will be as excited about the process as she is.

"We had a real team last year to help Bayangali and I want to generate that same level of involvement and enthusiasm again. Who wouldn't want to play a part in saving someone's life?"

To learn more about HeartGift Houston or to make a donation, visit www.heartgift.org/chapters/houston or call Rachael Wright, HeartGift Houston Executive Director, at (832) 270-6138.